95077
VIVALDI aCHEDEVILLE
Complete Recorder Sonatas from “Il Pastor Fido” St e fa n o Bag li a n o recorder Co l leg i u m Pro M u s i ca
The Six Sonatas from Pastor Fido Op.13 of A.Vivaldi / N. Chedeville By the end of the 16th century, Italy was showing signs of literary as well as political decadence: the cultural axis of Europe was heading west towards France and Spain, and north towards England, largely thanks to the flow of riches from the Americas. Giovanni Battista Guarini, who was active in the late Renaissance and early Baroque age, moved away from the prevailing classical models, allowing for the taste of the audience to prevail over that of the author, and embracing the fact that the spread of printing brought in its wake not only wider audiences and demand but also the commercialisation of fashion and literature. It was within this perspective that more widespread wealth also accounted for a decrease in the importance of aristocratic patronage. In the years following 1580, Guarini wrote what he himself described as a ‘pastoral tragicomedy’, Il Pastor Fido (‘The Faithful Shepherd’), which he published in 1590. There were two minor performances of the work before the author decided to direct a lavish production in Mantua, at the Gonzaga court, in 1598. Il Pastor Fido was extremely popular with audiences, and for reasons that are now far removed from modern-day parameters: the fact that an aristocratic society identified with certain archetypes, which became self-perpetuating precisely because they were reassuring. There are two reasons for adding these considerations to a booklet accompanying a release of Vivaldi’s music: one regards the fact that a collection of his compositions shared the name Pastor Fido; and the other concerns the permanence in both periods of a widespread phenomenon that is not easy to grasp for present-day audiences. Guarini’s work was so popular that, according to Salvator Rosa, ladies used to take the volume to church with them and consider it part of the service. The book certainly enjoyed enormous success, with at least 100 reprints. Many madrigalists, including Giaches de Wert, Claudio Monteverdi, Sigismondo D’India, Alessandro Grandi, Tarquinio Merula and Heinrich Schütz, were attracted and inspired by the work, which later became the core of an opera of the same name by George Frideric Handel. The six sonatas on this recording also derive from that original Pastor Fido. At 2
one time thought to be by Antonio Vivaldi, today they are attributed to the French composer Nicolas Chédeville (the younger), who was connected with the circles of Jacques Hotteterre, the oboist and musette player who also composed a number of collections of chamber music, as well as teaching and building musical instruments. It is a known fact that towards the end of the 1730s the success of Vivaldi’s music was beginning to wane in Italy, whereas in France it continued to enjoy wide acclaim, especially among Parisian audiences. Between 1737 and 1751 Madame Boivin and the Le Clerc brothers published 13 editions of his works, both in their original forms and in variously arranged versions. Moreover, illustrious musicians such as Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Michel Blavet, Michel Corrette and Nicolas Chédeville turned their hands to composing works inspired by Vivaldi’s style, or circulating transcriptions and arrangements of his compositions. Despite this, towards the beginning of 1730 various personal and financial vicissitudes persuaded Vivaldi to give up publishing his music and to focus on the potentially more profitable business of selling manuscript versions of his concertos. Following Le Cène’s publication of his Op.12 in 1729, no further collection was printed for distribution until the Op.13, which took the Parisian scene by storm ten years later. It was curious that this should have taken place in a city in which Vivaldi had no direct contacts, or even a publisher. In 1990 Philippe Lescat unearthed an illuminating document dated 1749 that clarified once and for all the hitherto controversial attribution of the famous Op.13 Il Pastor Fido. The fallacy had lasted over 250 years, from the appearance at Madame Boivin’s music shop in Paris of a series of sonatas whose frontispiece read as follows: IL PASTOR FIDO, | Sonates, | POUR | La Musette, Viele, Flûte, Hautbois, Violon, | Avec la Basse Continüe. | DEL SIG.R | ANTONIO VIVALDI. | Opera XIII. | prix en blanc 6.lt [decorative emblem] | A PARIS | Chez M.e Boivin M.de rue S.t Honoré à la Règle d’Or. | Avec Privilege du Roy. So how did the spurious edition come about? A certain skill is required to compose a work that can hoodwink the entire gamut of listeners and players for over two 3
and a half centuries. Clearly Chédeville had the ability not only to turn the arias and minuets into the galant style, but also to create convincingly solid, creative counterpoint. The Pastor Fido is indeed largely his work: he borrowed subjects from Vivaldi and other composers, and developed them as far as possible in the same musical idiom. The commercial success of the edition lay in Vivaldi’s name, in the Italian style, and in the fact that the less than two-octave span of the melody line made the work suitable for a range of instruments. © Mariagrazia Liberatoscioli Translation: Kate Singleton
4
Le Sei Sonate dal Pastor Fido Op.13 di A.Vivaldi/N. Chedeville Alla fine del XVI secolo l’Italia manifesta i segni della decadenza non soltanto politica ma anche letteraria: l’asse culturale europeo si sposta nuovamente ad occidente e soprattutto verso la Francia, Spagna e Inghilterra, grazie in gran parte agli afflussi di ricchezza provenienti dalle Americhe. Tra Manierismo e Barocco si pone Giovan Battista Guarini, che giustifica l’abbandono dei modelli classici con il primato del gusto del pubblico sugli autori, delle mode e della letteratura quale prodotto commerciale, in un’epoca in cui la stampa permette l’ampliamento del pubblico, cioè della committenza, mentre cala l’incidenza del mecenatismo principesco grazie alla maggiore ricchezza diffusa. Guarini scrisse il dramma pastorale Il pastor fido negli anni dopo il 1580, lo pubblicò nel 1590 e, dopo due rappresentazioni minori, curò egli stesso una sfarzosa messa in scena a Mantova, alla corte dei Gonzaga, nel 1598. Il pastor fido, definito dal Guarini una “tragicommedia pastorale”, fu un’opera amatissima dal pubblico e le ragioni di tanto successo vanno ricercate in fattori molto lontani dai nostri parametri di riferimento; si trovano nella costatazione che una società aristocratica ama riconoscersi in alcuni archetipi, che ripete trovando la cosa rassicurante. Ma perché tali valutazioni a cappello di note ad un CD di musica di Vivaldi? Perché il lavoro, oltre ad avere in comune il nome “Pastor fido”, ha in comune un fenomeno di massa che riguarda il periodo e che sembra strano, a noi uomini del XXI secolo, pensare che potesse esistere secoli fa. L’opera del Guarini fu un libro così tanto amato che le signore - racconta Salvatore Rosa - se lo portavano in chiesa come ufficio e può vantare più di cento ristampe. Ad esso si ispirarono numerosi compositori di madrigali, tra cui Giaches de Wert, Claudio Monteverdi, Sigismondo d’India, Alessandro Grandi, Tarquinio Merula e Heinrich Schütz. Il primo a trarne un’opera lirica fu Georg Friedrich Handel. Ne vennero tratte anche le sei Sonate, contenute in questo CD, un tempo ritenute di Antonio Vivaldi, ed oggi invece attribuite al francese Nicolas Chédeville (junior), 5
legato alla dinastia Hotteterre, oboista e suonatore di musette, il quale, oltre ad essere compositore di numerose raccolte di musica da camera, era insegnante e costruttore di strumenti musicali. Grazie alla scoperta di Philippe Lescat, avvenuta nel 1990, di una dichiarazione illuminante datata 1749, si pose fine a molti dubbi circa l’attribuzione controversa della Op.13, il famoso “Pastor Fido”, che fino ad allora era tra le opere più frequentemente eseguite e più apprezzate di Vivaldi, mostrando una volta per tutte che il sacerdote veneziano non aveva composto l’”Op.13” ma che il vero autore della collezione era Nicolas Chédeville. L’inganno, se così vogliamo chiamarlo, durò più di 250 anni: dalla comparsa, a Parigi, presso il negozio di musica di Mme Boivin, di una serie di Sonate il cui frontespizio riportava così: IL PASTOR FIDO / Sonate | POUR | La Musette, Vielle, Flute, Hautbois, Violon | Avec la Base Continue | del SIG.R | ANTONIO VIVALDI. | Opera XIII | prix en blanc 6 lt. [typographisches Emblem] | A PARIS | Chez M.e Boivin M.de rue S.t Honoré à la Règle d’Or | Avec Privilege du Roy. Verso la fine del 1730 la musica di Vivaldi, che in Italia viveva la sua fase di declino, conosceva in Francia altri giorni di gloria grazie all’apprezzamento del pubblico parigino. Tra il 1737 e il 1751 M.me Boivin e i fratelli Le Clerc pubblicarono tredici edizioni della musica del compositore italiano, sia nella sua forma originale sia in vario modo arrangiata. Mentre Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Michel Blavet, Michel Corrette e Nicolas Chédeville - solo per citare i nomi più illustri -, si misero a comporre opere ispirate allo stile di Vivaldi, oppure misero in circolazione trascrizioni e arrangiamenti delle maggiori opere del prete veneziano. Nonostante ciò, verso l’inizio del 1730, varie esperienze personali e commerciali sfortunate convinsero Vivaldi a porre fine alla pubblicazione della sua musica, nella considerazione che avrebbe potuto guadagnare di più vendendo i suoi concerti singolarmente in manoscritto. Ecco quindi che, dopo il 1729 – anno in cui la sua Op.12 fu pubblicata da Le Cène, – l’Europa non vide nuove collezioni dell’autore fino all’ Op.13, che irrompe sulla scena parigina all’improvviso, dopo dieci anni, e in un 6
luogo dove Vivaldi non aveva mai avuto contatti diretti o un editore. Ma quali gli ingredienti di questo falso storico? Per comporre un falso capace di ingannare ascoltatori e fruitori, competenti e non, per oltre due secoli e mezzo, ci vuole una certa capacità. E Chédeville è stato un compositore in grado non solo di trasformare le arie e minuetti in stile galante, ma anche di convincere con un contrappunto solido e con vena creativa. Il Pastor Fido è stato in gran parte una opera sua. Egli infatti ha usato temi sia di Vivaldi che di altri compositori, sviluppando poi, per quanto poteva, il loro stesso linguaggio musicale. Il nome di Vivaldi, il gusto italiano, l’intercambiabilità degli strumenti nell’esecuzione dell’opera grazie all’estensione non molto ampia della linea del canto (che non copre nemmeno due ottave) e quindi adattabile ad ogni sorta di strumento melodico, sono gli ulteriori ingredienti del successo commerciale. © Mariagrazia Liberatoscioli
7
Collegium Pro Musica Ensemble and Baroque Orchestra The Collegium Pro Musica is an ensemble specialized in XVII and XVIII century music repertoire, performed in accordance with the style of that age and using true copies of original instruments. The Collegium is composed of many of the best Italian performers, all carrying out an intense concert activity as soloists with some of the most important European concert institutions, and often called for collaborating with famous baroque groups and conductors. The Collegium has performed with famous singers such as Emma Kirkby, Roberta Invernizzi and Gemma Bertagnolli and performers such as the violinist Monica Huggett, the harpsicordist Bob Van Asperen and the gambist Lorenz Duftschmid. Flexible in its formation, which varies from the Trio to the Baroque Orchestra, the group has been founded in 1989 by the flautist Stefano Bagliano, who is also the artistic director. Bagliano and the Collegium Pro Musica have performed very successfully in important festivals and concert institutions in all Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, China, Israel and Turkey, among which Carnegie Hall of New York, Gasteig of Munich, Conservatoires of Moscow and of Beijing, Amici della Musica of Florence, Ishibashi Memorial Hall of Tokio, Lubljana International Festival, Società del Quartetto of Milano at S. Maurizio, Concerts of Palazzo Venezia in Rome broadcasted by the Italian Radio Rai 3, Universitat fur Musik of Wien, Il Gonfalone of Rome, Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles and of New York, Engadiner Konzertwochen, Sounding Jerusalem Festival, Sonoro Festival of Bucarest, Boston Recorder Society, Feste Musicali per S. Rocco of Venice, Sagra Musicale Malatestiana of Rimini, Festival Internacional de Mùsica Antigua de Valencia, Styrian Chamber Music Festival, Emilia Romagna Festival, Teatro Bibiena of Mantova, Festivals of Bozen, Nice, Nancy, Avignon, Sion, Turin, Genoa, Cagliari, La Rioja, Baastad, Aalborg, Briancon, Lago d’Orta etc. The Collegium has undertaken a recording activity, gaining important recognition from the international critics. It has recorded compact - discs for the Brilliant, 8
Stradivarius, Dynamic, Nuova Era and Tactus record companies, with music by G.P. Telemann, A. Vivaldi, G. Sammartini, N. Fiorenza, B.Marcello, J.S.Bach, A.Scarlatti, C.Graupner, J.F.Fasch, J.G.Graun, T.Merula, A.Stradella, M.Bitti etc.. Some recordings came out as a free CD enclosed to some of the most important Italian musical magazines, such as CD Classics and the prestigious Amadeus, and obtained various 5 stars reviews on the best European and American musical magazines. www.collegiumpromusica.com
Stefano Bagliano recorder player and conductor Stefano Bagliano is one of the flautists (recorder/ flauto dolce) who are today achieving a growing appreciation at an international level. Got the diploma at the Conservatory Pollini of Padua and specialized with Frans Bruggen, Kees Boeke, Walter Van Hauwe and Pedro Memelsdorff in recorder and ancient music and with Fabrizio Dorsi in orchestral conducting, he won the first prize in several national contests. He started an intense concert activity, with the admiration of the famous flutists Frans Bruggen and Walter Van Hauwe: he performed as a soloist more than 700 concerts for prestigious festivals and institutions in all Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, China, Israel and Turkey, such as Carnegie Hall of New York, Moscow Conservatoire, Gasteig of Munich, Ishibashi Memorial Hall of Tokio, Lubiana International Festival, Amici della Musica of Florence, Società del Quartetto di Milano/Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio, Concerts of Palazzo Venezia in Rome broadcasted by the italian Radio Rai 3, Universitat fur Musik of Vienna, Central Conservatories of Beijing and of Tianjin, Engadiner Konzertwochen, Italian Cultural Institutes of Los Angeles and of New York, 9
Sounding Jerusalem Festival, Sonoro Festival Bucarest, Sagra Musicale Malatestiana of Rimini, Bach Festival of Riga, Emilia Romagna Festival etc., always with a great success. In 2014 he is going to make his debut in Africa. As a conductor with his baroque orchestra Collegium Pro Musica he performed with famous singers like Emma Kirkby, Roberta Invernizzi, Catherine King. As a soloist with orchestra he performed with conductors such as A.Curtis, R.Barshai, A.Nanut, G.Garbarino, L.Piovano, V.Bulakhov as well as with formations such as Academia Montis Regalis, Les Boreades of Montreal, Solisti della Scala of Milan, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra Milano Classica, L’Arte dell’Arco Padova, Ensemble Baroque de Nice, Mainzer Kammerorchester, Macedonian Philarmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Toscanini of Parma, Accademia I Filarmonici Verona, Campania Chamber Orchestra; played chamber music with M. Huggett, B. Van Asperen, O. Dantone, V. Ghielmi, S. Azzolini, H. Bouman, C. Chiarappa, G. Bertagnolli, F. Guglielmo, L. Duftschmid, E. Bronzi, C. Astronio, F. Nicolosi, A. Coen, G. Tabacco, Sonatori della Gioiosa Marca, L’Astrèe. Bagliano is the founder and the director of the ensemble Collegium Pro Musica and made several recordings (more than 20 of them as a soloist, with works by Telemann, Vivaldi, Sammartini, Fiorenza, J.S.Bach, C.P.E.Bach, Marcello, Barbella, Merula, Stradella, Graupner, Fasch etc.) for the labels Brilliant, Stradivarius, Dynamic, Nuova Era, Tactus, ASV Gaudeamus, achieving thus enthusiastic appreciations from the European and the American critics (Early Music, Fanfare, Diapason, Amadeus, American Record Guide, Classic Heute, CD Classica, Répertoire, Scherzo, American Recorder, Musica, Fono Forum etc.). Some recordings came out as a free CD enclosed to some of the most important italian musical magazines, such as CD Classics, Orfeo and for two times on the prestigious Amadeus. Among the last recordings there are the complete Vivaldi Chamber Concertos (which have obtained enthusiastic rewievs from the italian magazine “Musica” – 5 stars/choices of the month – and the American “Fanfare”, where James Altena wrote “ Stefano Bagliano is as fine a 10
virtuoso on his instrument as I’ve ever heard”), Telemann Cantatas with the soprano Gemma Bertagnolli, and Concertos and chamber music by C.P.E.Bach played on the recorder, all for the label Brilliant Classics. He is the art director of the International Festival of Chamber Music “Le Vie del Barocco” of Genoa and Savona and consultant member of other concert series. He was a member of the jury at the 2006 Zinetti Chamber Music International Competition of Verona and at the 2009 ERTA Italian Recorder Competition of Padova. He taught recorder and baroque praxis in several musical courses and masterclasses for various institutions, among which ISA International Summer Academy of the University of Vienna, Gnessin Institute of Moscow, BRS Boston Recorder Society, Conservatory of Oporto (Portugal), Société Valaisanne de la Flute Sion (Switzerland), Accademia Europea di Musica Antica of Bolzano, Conservatories of Torino, Genova, Bari, Campobasso and Cosenza. He is professor of recorder and baroque chamber music at the Conservatory “Pedrollo” of Vicenza. He also graduated in Law. www.collegiumpromusica.com
Many thanks to: Convento Suore Immacolatine, Madre Rosangela Sala, Suor Immacolata
Recording: 27-29 april 2014, Convento di S. Maria di Castello, Genova, Italy Sound engineering and editing: Silvano Landonio Cover image: Amarillis crowning Mirtillo by Adriaen van Nieulandt p 2014 & © 2015 Brilliant Classics
11